Folding pistol.



H. M. SPRAGUE. FOLDING PISTOL.

APPLICATION FILED 121113.16, 1912.

' Patented 11111.22, 1913.

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UNlTFl) STATE@ PATENT FFTQE.

HORACE M. SPRAGUE, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO THE SIMPLEX .ARMS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF DENVER, COLORADO, A CORPORATION OF COLO- RADO.

FOLDING PISTOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

T 0 all whom t may concern a citizen of the United States of America,

residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Folding Pistol, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in folding pistols.

The object of the invention is to provide a pistol in which the barrel is hinged to the handle and is adapted to be folded down against the handle so as to provide a compact weapon that may be conveniently carried in the vest pocket.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pistol of this characterl in which the hammer is concealed within the handle and is cocked by the folding of the barrel, an improved form of trigger being employed which operates the hammer-holding dog.

These objects are accomplished by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a top view of the improved folding pistol, portions of the barrel and handle being in section to show the cartridge extractor. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view of the same, portions of the barrel and handle being in elevation. Fig. 4 is a side view, the near side of the handle being removed, showing the barrel folded down upon the handle, and the hammer cocked. Fig. 5 is a front view of the handle, the barrel and parts carried thereby being removed. Fig. 6 is a rear end view of the barrel and parts carried thereby, the handle being omitted. Fig. 7 is a front view of the hammer in the position shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view of the handle on the line 8 8 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view of the barrel showing a modification in the manner of attaching the trigger supporting plates.

The numeral 1 designates the barrel of the pistol, and 2 the handle to which it is hinged. This handle comprises a substantially rectangular metal frame 3, to which are secured side plates 4 of any suitable material. The upper portion of the front side of the frame 3 is cut away to form an opening 5, into the interior of the handle, and the forward portion of the top end of the handle is formed p with a circular recess 6, of a diameter corresponding to that of the barrel.

Depending apertured ears 7 are formed upon the top end of the frame on opposite sides of the recess 6, and between these ears are pivotally secured hinge plates 8, upon a pin 9, which passes through the ears and plates. These plates form integral extensions of a band 10, which encircles the breech of the barrel 1, and is rigidly secured thereto. The barrel is thus hinged to the handle by the pin 9, and when the barrel is in position for action its rear or breech end enters recess 6 in the end of the top part of the handle. The plates 8 project slightly into the opening 5 of the handle when the barrel is in operative position, and they are of the same length as the opening. Vhen the barrel is folded down upon the handle, the plates enter the handle and their lower ends engage and cock the hammer, as will presently be shown.

The breech end of the barrel is provided with a notch 11, which is engaged by a spring actuated dog 12, which is pivotally mounted in a groove in the top of the handle. The dog is pivoted midway of its length upon a pin 13, and a spring 14, preferably a spiral spring, is seated in a recess 15 in the handle beneath the rear end of the dog, land exerts an upward pressure upon the same, which holds its front end in engagement with the notch in the barrel when the barrel is in active position. By pressing upon the rear end of the dog, the barrel is released, and may be folded down against the handle, as shown by Fig. 4.

An extractor 16, similar in shape to the dog 12, is pivotally mounted in a slot in one side of the top of the handle by a pin 17, a coil spring 18 being under pressure beneath its rear end. The front end of the extractor terminates in a tooth which enters a recess 19 in the end of the barrel so as to lie behind the rim of a cartridge, as will be understood, and when the barrel is folded, this tooth engages the said rim of the cartridge and withdraws the cartridge shell from the barrel.

Between the plates 8 is pivoted by a pin 20, the upper member 21 of the trigger, which is in the form of a narrow U-shaped plate, which extends a slight distance beyond the forward edges of the plates 8, to

`in position for action.

be engaged by the forelinger in discharging the weapon. In the lower end of the plate 2l is pivotally secured by a pin 22, the forward end of a trip arm 23, which forms the other member of the trigger. This arm lies between the lower ends of the plates 8, which ends have a downward inclination to the lower end of the opening 5 of the handle, and its rear portion is formed with a longitudinal slot 24, through which passes a pin 25, which also extends through the plates 8. When the trigger 20 is rocked upon its pivot or pressed in between the arms 8, the upper end of the trip arm 23 is moved inward with it, and the lower end of the arm is pushed downward, being delined in its movement by the pin 25, which passes through the slot 24, as will be understood.

The lower end of the trip arm is arranged to engage a hammer locking dog 2G, which is pivotally mounted in a recess in a lug 27, at the extremity of the front side of the handle frame 3. This dog is T-shaped and is actuated by a spring 23, in a recess 29 beneath its tail end. The lateral projections :26A which constitute the head end of this dog, are adapted to engage shoulders 30, upon the bifurcated lower end of a hammer 3l, which is pivoted to the lug 27 by a screw 32, which passes through the bifurcated end of hammer, and through the lug and also through the side plates 4L of the handle. The under sides o-f the projections 26A of the dog are inclined and when the hammer is in the position shown in Fig. 3, they rest upon the top of the bifurcated end of the hammer which straddles the lug 27, but when the hammer is cocked by the engagement therewith of the lower ends of the plates 3, as the barrel is folded, the dog is rocked by its spring, and its projecting members are thrown into engagement with the shoulders 30 and the hammer is locked The upper end of the hammer is formed with a narrow projection 33, which strikes the cartridge rim when the hammer is released, as will be understood. The upper end of the handle is formed with a groove 34, in which the proj ection 33 lies, and through which it travels when the hammer is cocked.

The hammer is actuated by a curved expansion spring 35, the upper end of which rests in a notch in the lower end of the hammer, and at the rear of its pivot, while the lower end of the said spring rests in a groove in the lower end of the handle.

The trigger 2l, is normally held out beyond the forward edges of the hinge plates 8, by a spring 36, having a coil through which the pivot pin 2O passes. The lower end of this spring bears against the trigger and presses it outward, while the upper end thereof bears against the bottom of a pin 37, having a conical pointed end which projects thro-ugh a conical aperture in the lower side of the barrel, which opens into its bore. This pointed end of this pin is adapted to engage a cartridge placed in the barrel and hold the same against accidental displace ment. The conical wall of the aperture in which the pin 37 lies permits the pin to extend only a slight distance into the bore of the barrel and the pin is moved downward by the insertion of a cartridge, but pressed against the cartridge by the spring 36, with sufficient force to prevent the cartridge from dropping out.

In Fig. 9 is illustrated a slight modifica tion in the manner of securing the hinge plates to the barrel of the pistol. In this arrangement, a U-shaped hinge plate is employed, the side members 33 of which are of the same shape as the plates 8 in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, and the closed end of this plate is dove-tailed into a corresponding transverse groove in the pistol barrel.

In operation, the barrel is folded down against the handle, and as it moves toward the handle the lower ends of the plates S engage the hammer, which is thereby swung back to active position, and is locked in this position by the dog 26. A cartridge is then inserted in the breech of the barrel, and is retained therein by the pin 37. In this compact form the pistol may be carried in the vest pocket, and when required for use the barrel is turned up to active position and is held in this position by the dog l2; then by pressing or pulling the trigger, the lower end of the trip arm 23 is thrown into engagement with the tail of the hammer locking dog 26, which is thereby moved to rclease the hammer, which is thrown forward by the spring 35.

Haiv'ingfdescribed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a folding pistol, the combination with a handle; a barrel hinged thereto and adapted to fold against the handle; a spring-actuated hammer in the handle, adapted to be cocked by folding of the barrel; and a dog for locking the hammer; of a two-part trigger carried by the barrel, the lower member of which engages and trips the dog to release the hammer when the upper member is pressed upon.

2. In a folding' pistol, the combination with a handle; a spring-actuated hammer therein; a dog for locking said hammer; and a barrel hinged to the handle so as to fold against the same; of parallel members extending from said barrel which are adapted to ente'r the handle, and cock the hammer when the barrel is folded; and a springactuated trigger comprising a linger operated member pivoted at its upper end between said parallel members; and a trip arm pivoted to the lower end of the fingeroperated member and adapted to engage and trip the hammer when the said fingeroperated member is swung on its pivot.

3. In a folding pist-ol, the combination with a handle and a barrel hinged thereto to fold against said handle; of a spring operated pivoted hammer in the handle; depending parallel members on the barrel adapted to engage and cock the hammer when t-he barrel is folded; a spring-actuated dog for locking the hammer; and a two-part trigger comprising a spring-operated finger member p-ivoted at its upper end between the said depending members; and a trip arm pivoted to the lower end of the finger member, provided with a longitudinal slot, the lower end of said arm being adapted to engage the hammer dog, a pin being extended through the parallel members and through the said slot to govern the movement of the lower end of said trip arm.

t. In a folding pistol, a handle having an apertured lug; a hammer having a bifurcated lower end, which straddles said lug, and a pin passing through said lug and bifurcated end, the parts of said bifurcated end being formed with abutment shoulders; a spring-actuated dog pivotally supported in said lug in position to engage the shoulders and lock the dog; a barrel hinged to the handle and adapted to fold against the same; depending parallel plates on said barrel which engage and cock the hammer when the barrel is folded; a two-part trigger for tripping the hammer dog, Comprising a slotted trip arm between the depending plates; a spring-actuated finger arm pivoted at its upper end between the said parallel plates, and pivotally connected at its lower end with the upper end of theA trip arm, the lower end of said trip arm being adapted to engage the said dog, a pin being passed through the parallel plates and through the slotI in said trip arm for governing the movement of its lower end.

5. In a folding pistol, a handle; a springaet-uated hammer in the handle; a dog for locking said hammer; a barrel pivoted to the handle; a depending member on the barrel, adapted to engage and cock the hammer when the barrel is folded down against the handle; and a two-part trigger, the parts of which are pivotally connected, the upper end of the upper member being pivotally attached to the depending member, while the lower portion of the lower member is slotted; a pin passing through said slot and through the depending member to limit the slotted member to a downward movement, when the upper member is rocked, whereby the lower end of the said slotted member is caused to engage and trip the hammer releasing dog.

G. In a folding pistol, the combination with a handle, and a barrel hinged thereto, having a recess in the extremity of its breech end, of a spring-actuated extractor in the side of the handle, the cartridgeengaging end of which lies in the said recess in the breech, when the barrel is in active position, so as to engage the rim of a cartridge, and extract the same from the barrel, when the barrel is folded down.

In testimony whereof I affix my signat-ure in presence of two witnesses.

HORACE M. SPRAGUE.

Vfitnesses:

G. SARGENT ELLIOTT, ELIZABETH SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing thev Commissioner of Patents, Washington, ID. C. 

